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WRESTLING: CIF STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Hi all:
I’m here in Bakersfield for the CIF State wrestling championships.
I will post the updated results in the comment section. But it looks like Northview and Santa Fe are having good days.

To read my story on the first day, click thread

By Steve Ramirez
Staff Writer
BAKERSFIELD – Just call them the area’s Fab Four.
Northview’s Steven Salinas and Frank Martinez, California’s Matt Melendrez and Santa Fe’s Nikolai Crouch led a stellar showing by local competitors on Friday at the CIF State wrestling championships at Rabobank Arena.
The quartet took a major step toward state titles by going 3-0 during the first session of the two-day tournament and advanced to the semifinals, which are scheduled to begin at 9:30 this morning. The finals are scheduled for 7 p.m.
Salinas, who advanced to the semifinals at 112 last year before placing a respectable fourth, needed his best effort to advance to the final four at 119, scoring seven points in the final minute to beat A.J. Valles of Selma, 7-6.
“He was stopping me the first couple of rounds,” Salinas said. “But the third round is my round.
“I just kept on fighting, and I got the win.”QA>
But he got it very close.
The senior trailed 5-0 before scoring rallying to tie it at 5 following a take down with 49 seconds left and a near-fall with 30 seconds to go. Valles then got a quick escape, but Salinas followed with a takedown with only two seconds remaining to win, 7-6. He will meet Turlock’s Fabian Garcia in the semifnals.
While Salinas rallied for his trip to the final four, Martinez (130), Melendrez (145) and Crouch (189) took the easy route.
Martinez, who finished second at the CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet last week, controlled Madera South’s Raul Estrada from the onset to win, 15-7. He faces Selma’s Jose Mendoza in the semifinals.
“I came up short last year, and all year long I’ve been training to not let it happen again,” Martinez said. “I’m in the semifinals now, but I’m going for that title.”
Melendrez, who also finished second at Masters, also put himself in good position to win a state title, winning by fall over Pleasant Valley’s Desmond Rios. He faces top seed Scott Sakaguchi of Cloves in the semifinals.
“He was quick, so I just tried to get on top of him early,” Melendrez said. “I’ve got Sakaguch in the semifinals, so we’ll see what happens.”
Crouch easily controlled Hanford West’s Nick Corona-Zamarripa, using a pair of a takedown and two nearfalls to take an 8-0 lead in the first period before ending it with a nearfall and takedown to win by technical fall.
There were four area competitors who advanced to round three. They were Northview’s Anthony Jarmillo (125), who lost to Clinton McAlester of Clovis, and Matt Lopez (215), who lost by fall to Rykeem Yates of Fresno Edison; Santa Fe’s Joey Davis (125), who lost by fall to David Ferry of San Jose Central Catholic and Arroyo’s Noel Blanco (145), who lost by fall to Desmond Rios of Pleasant Valley.
All lost in the consolation round and did not advance. La Puente’s Jesus Vargas, who battled through the consolation round after opening the tournament with a loss, lost in the consolation fourth round and did not advance.
La Habra’s Aaron Le Farge is still alive at 112.
Also failing to advance to today was South Hills’ Daniel Flores (103) Mike Ramos (152) and Ty Olson (215); Santa Fe’s Kioni Villalobos (103) Richard Richard Rios (119), Dimitri Crouch (135) and Justin Irribarren (152); Rosemead’s Matt Fregoso (119); Schurr’s Johnny Marchena (130); Northview’s Marty Le Gaspe (145), La Habra’s Bryan Barocio (152); Azusa’s Bernardo Delgado (heavyweight) and Glendora’s Justin Mathews (Hwt.).
Delgado, who rallied at last week’s CIF-SS Masters Meet to win seven consecutive matches to qualify for this meet, again lost in the first round. But this time after rebounding with a 3-2 victory over El Modena’s Kevin Shannon, who he also beat last week, he lost by fall in a consolation second round match to John Castle of Poway.
[TAG1]steve.ramirez@sgvn.com(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2296

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